Protective Heart
by Lizzyc807
Summary: Emma and Killian AU: The story takes place 5 years after the finale. The Charmings and people of storybrooke are forced to go back to the Enchanted Forrest to protect the realm from dark magic and evil. Killian and Emma are married with 2 children.


Emma knelt by Killian's bedside. She laid her head across his chest and reached up to caress his sleeping face. She could hear his faint beating heart and tears pricked her eyes. He fought so valiantly for her and their family. Why did he have to step in front of her? She has a protected heart and she can't be harmed by that kind of magic. She was tired that day but she would have taken the hit to have him smiling at her any time. Tears began to stream down her face. In spite of this pain she had to remain strong for their family. Their little son Liam was only 3 years old and their new daughter Annabelle was only 6 months old. She needed to be strong for them. Luckily Henry was able to keep Liam occupied and help his mother take a much needed rest from her polite façade. It had been 4 years since they were forced back to the Enchanted Forrest. They all enjoyed their blissful life in Storybrooke up until that fateful day when the Ogre managed to make it to their realm. They received word of terrible trouble happening in the Enchanted Forrest and without the Charming Family there to rule and restore peace in the realm it would be lost to darkness forever. Once they were able to contain the Ogre and force him back to the Enchanted Forrest they made the decision to return and rule.

Emma and Killian had just announced their engagement the night before. She couldn't remember ever being so happy or in love as she was with him. Each day that love deepens for her and seeing him like this is breaking her down piece by piece. She doesn't have much energy after pretending to be brave all day and putting on a happy face for her people and family.

She often thinks back to their first dance at her first ball. She was so impressed with him and how he knew the dances and traditions of her people. She could now claim to be one of them and see the beauty in their simplicity.

Killian's eyes flickered open and he grabbed her hand. She stirred up and looked into his pale blue eyes that had grown weary over these last few weeks. He gave her a slight smile and gazed at her. She bent down and kissed him gently. He tried to get up but she held him.

"Killian, I'm not going to tell you again. You are not leaving this bed." , scolded Emma.

"Love, you have been crying again. Please don't be sad." , said Killian.

Tears began flowing faster. She smiled at him.

"Papa! Your awake!" , shouted Liam.

Liam came running into the room and jumped up onto the bed. He quickly put his arms around his father's neck and hugged him so tight. Killian closed his eyes and just held his boy close to him.

Emma had to turn away, she couldn't bear the thought of them being separated any more than she could bear losing him herself. Shit Emma, get it together. He needs you right now to be yourself. He can't see you this way. She wiped her tears and turned back around to smile at her 2 greatest loves. Liam looked just like his father. He had dark hair and the deepest blue eyes. When he smiled she couldn't help but light up just looking at him. He exuded joy from the inside out. She could see a difference in Killian just having him near.

"Love, where is Annabelle?" , said Killian.

"Snow took her down to her room to put her down for a nap so that I could have some time alone with you. Would you like me to get her?" , said Emma.

Annabelle looked a lot like Emma with her sweet little face and big green eyes. She didn't have much hair except a few stray curls at the bottom of her neck. They were baby soft and blond.

"No, don't wake her but I would love to have my sweet little princess spend time with me when she is awake." , said Killian.

"OK I will bring her up myself as soon as I hear her stirring in her crib. Can I get you some water or something to eat?", asked Emma.

"No, love I'm not hungry. I'm happy to just spend time with my family for now. Come over and sit with us.", said Killian.

She hopped onto the bed and snuggled in close to him putting her head on his chest so she could listen closely to the sound of his heart beating. She wished she could figure out what this horrible magic is that he was hit with. If she could find out she could heal him, protect him, save him.

She closed her eyes and listened to Liam tell his father about the wonderful things he did with his brother Henry today, Playing sword fighting by the stream, chasing rabbits outside the castle, and skipping stones across the pond. Emma leaned up kissed Killian on the cheek and kissed Liam on the top of his head.

"I'll be back soon ok?",she said.

He looked over to her and smiled. She smiled back and squeezed his hand gently. She walked to the door holding back her tears. She needed to run away for awhile and find a quiet place to think. As she rounded the corridor to the west side of the castle she ran into her father.

"Emma, are you alright?",said David.

He came up and hugged her. She sobbed softly against his shoulder. He just held her tightly to try to comfort her. He rubbed her back gently and let her cry. It's going to be ok. You have to believe things will get better.

"Dad I just can't bear the thought of losing him. I feel like I'm doing nothing. I need to do something. He just seems to get a little worse every day.", sobbed Emma.

"Emma, look at me. She looked up at her father with tears pooled in her eyes. You are a strong woman. You can do this. Fight for him honey, you can do this. Don't make him worry about how your feeling, force him to get better.", said David.

He wiped her eyes and hugged her tight. She pulled her dress down straightened herself upright.

"OK, I can do this." ,said Emma.

"Emma, Where are you going?",said David.

"I'm heading out to the garden by the pond for just a little while. I need to think. Liam is in with Killian right now having a little male bonding time. Would you go in and look in on them for me? ",asked Emma.

"Sure, Honey you go and I'll take care of things for you. ",said David.

She pushed forward heading towards the castle doors and out to the pond. She went to her favorite bench and sat down watching the ducks and swans swimming across. She put her face in her hands and held back her scream.

"Hello Dearie!"

"Rumplestiltskin?! What are you doing here?" ,asked Emma.

"I heard about your hubby and I came by to see how things were going.",he said.

"Things are not going well, I'm going out of my mind with worry about him. He seems to be getting worse and I don't know why." ,said Emma.

"What happened?" ,he asked.

"He was hit by a blast that was supposed to hit me. He was hit right in the heart with the fierce magical blast." ,said Emma.

"Pity, if it were you probably would have bounced right back. You do have quite the special heart. You should have protected him as well.",he said.

"What do you mean?! How could I have done that?",asked Emma.

"Dearie, you have the strongest white magic that there is based on true love. Of course you can project your magic on your loved ones if needed.", he said.

"Please, show me how? ",she asked.

"Too late for hubby but I supposed your children can benefit, that is if they don't already have resilient hearts like their mother. After all they are the product of true love as well.",he said.

Her heart began to break again.

"Wait? What if I was able to save him, what would I need to do to protect his heart? ",asked Emma.

"Well, you just think about the love you have for him and then place your hand over his heart thinking about protecting it and wrapping it up in your love. Believe me you will feel it and know it has worked. Only true love will allow that kind of magic to work. If you did not truly love him the protection spell would not work on him." ,he said.

"Do you still have that wand? You know the wand that we used to go back to the future?",she asked.

"Whatever for?"

"Oh, you know just curious if you might." ,asked Emma.

Rumple waived his hands in the air and the wand appeared.

"Here you go Dearie. Be careful with this, it can be a very powerful tool and in the wrong hands cause great harm.", he warned.

She slid the wand up into her dress sleeve and nodded her head.

"Now, where is my grandson Henry? I'd like to spend some time with him.", he asked.

It hadn't even dawned on Emma that Rumple was here to see Henry. Had she been so lost that she had forgotten everything?

"He is down in the East wing with Snow and Neal. He was playing with the boys out here all day. He is a great big brother and nephew to those boys. "

"Thank you Rumple, I appreciate your willingness to help me."

"Of course Dearie! Don't dwell in the past too long now."

She looked at him without passing a word. How did he know what she was planning to do? She nodded her head and walked with him back into the castle.

She felt the wand in her sleeve and she felt powerful for the first time in weeks. She lifted her skirts and held her head high walking through the halls of the castle. She gently smiled at everyone she passed on her way back to Killian's room.

He was sitting up against the headboard of the bed when she walked in the room. His head came right to her as she walked in smiling at him. He couldn't help but smile when he looked at her.

"Love, did you have a nice visit out at the pond?"

"Yes, Honey. Rumple is here to visit with Henry for awhile. He and I talked about my magic. He told me that it is possible that our children have protected hearts like I do. He said that if they do not that I could project my magic onto them and wrap their hearts in protection."

"Love, That would be wonderful."

His eyes lit up at the thought of our children being protected from a similar fate. She climbed onto the bed with him and snuggled against him once more. She kissed him lightly on the lips wishing it could be more. She settled for putting her head against his chest and listening to his heartbeat.

Once he was asleep she adjusted his pillows and tucked him into the blankets. He looked so peaceful just resting there. She pressed her lips to his once more and held them for just a bit longer than usual.

She walked down the hall to Annabelle's room. She was softly snoozing in her crib. She bent down to kiss her lightly on her plump little baby cheek. She loved their children so much. Killian had given her everything she ever wanted. He loved her completely, gently, and passionately. She pulled Annabelle's blankets up a little higher onto her so she was protected from the drafts. Her little rainbow mobile hung above her crib shining against the falling sun. Emma thought about how much she loved this little baby and held her hand to her little chest and thought to herself about how much she wanted her little daughter to be strong like her mama and papa. She thought about how much she wanted her little heart protected from any threat. She felt her magic pooling out of her, only to be met by a little force back. Annabelle has magic! That made her feel proud all of the sudden. Her daughter would be just fine, just like her mother.

She kissed her lightly once more and left her little princess sleeping in her crib. She walked down to find Snow.

She heard laughter coming from Neal's room. The boys were jumping on the bed and having a ball doing it. Snow and Charming were laughing so hard watching their son and grandson having such a joyous time. Emma stood in the doorway watching them all. She loved all of these people so deeply. She felt her heart fill up with love at that moment and smiled. Snow looked over to her and got up to greet her.

"Emma, are you ok? Dad told me he ran into you in the hall and you were very upset."

"I'm ok Mom, just having a weak moment. Is Henry here?"

"No, he went with Rumple for awhile to get out of babysitting duty for awhile. He is growing into a fine young man."

Emma beamed with pride.

"Yes, he is. His siblings adore him and so does his Uncle Neal."

She still can't believe she has a brother that is only 2 years older than her son.

"Hi Mama!"

She turns to see Liam jumping higher and higher.

"Be careful baby!"

"OK Mama!"

"Buddy, can you come over here with mommy for a minute?"

He sat down and bound off of the bed running towards her with full speed. She reached out for him and picked him and spun him around.

"Oh you beautiful boy, you sure do know how to make your Mama smile."

She hugged him so closely kissing him all over. He laughed as she tickled him with her kisses. She carried him with her into the hall.

"Mom, I'll be right back she called back over her shoulder."

"Liam, look at Mama ok?"

She put him down in front of her and looked into his eyes. You look so much like Papa. She smiled big and full. He cocked his head to the side with a big grin on his face. She tickled him on his sides and he giggled.

She started thinking about her love for him and began to pool her magic and reached over and held him close to her with her hand on his chest. She could feel her magic wrapping around his little heart placing it in a blanket of protection. He started giggling as the magic prickled against his skin.

"That tickles Mama!" he shouted.

She felt it complete and she sighed in relief.

She put him down and held out her hand.

"Come on Liam, lets go back to Grandmom and Neal."

"OK, Mama!"

He bounded back into the room and hopped back up on the bed with his giggling uncle.

"Emma, are you sure you are ok?"

"Yes, Mom, I'm more than ok right now. Listen, do you think you could watch the children for me, for just a little while? I'm going to get a few things done and I just need a bit of time on my own."

"OK, Honey. I will take care of them. Don't worry."

"Will you ask Dad to sit with Killian? I don't like leaving him alone for long periods of time."

"Yes, I'm sure he wouldn't mind sitting with his mate for awhile."

Snow smiled at her.

"You do know we love him too. We know how happy he makes you and I know how much you are hurting right now. He will be ok Emma. I believe it with all my heart."

She reached up and hugged her mother. She knew she could count on her parents to take care of things for her if something went wrong.

"OK Mom, I won't be long. I promise."

Snow walked back over to the giggling jumping beans that were their children. She could tell how much her mother loved having their family together. She missed out on too much time for them to be far apart. Living together at the castle was the right decision for all of them.

Emma walked back to Killian's room. She held her head up and smiled before walking into the room just in case he was awake. He was soundly sleeping when she crept in. She had tucked the wand under the mattress when she came in earlier. She wanted it to be protected. She tucked the wand up into the sleeve of her dress again. She bent down and kissed Killian once more on the lips.

"I'm going to fix everything my love, I promise you. I will not be gone long and I will be thinking of you every minute I am gone."

She reached into the cupboard by their closet and pulled out the forgetting potion. She created a forgetting potion for herself in case the worst happened. She was afraid she might need to use this if something went terribly wrong. Thank goodness she made it because she may not have been able to do this if she didn't have one. She knew that messing with the past had consequences. She was going to have to time this perfectly to ensure this would work. She would have one chance and she knew it.

She walked over to Killian's bedside once more. She kissed him once more on his lips before leaving. Just in case all went horribly wrong and she was unable to fix this.

"I love you," she whispered.

She gathered her skirts and walked out of the room and down the hall towards the unoccupied rooms of the castle.

She tucked the forgetting potion into the pocket of her flowing green dress. It was a stipulation of her wearing the gowns that they had to be useful. She needed pockets and she would need normal undergarments. She also wanted to be able to wear her red leather jacket sometimes, even if it wasn't proper for a princess.

Killian loved seeing her in dresses, especially when she wore the corsets. Those were her favorite evenings. She was pretty sure one of those wild evenings gave her Annabelle. Emma pulled the wand from her sleeve and thought long and hard about the time portal. She would need to go to a place where Killian would be alone and she would be able to protect him before things went wrong. She thought back to when they were apart and he came to find her in New York.

"That's it!"

She remembered the night outside of Grannies when they first got back from the past. He just told her about how he found her in New York and that he had given up the Jolly Roger for her. She knew he had feelings for her but she had no idea that he loved her that much that he would give up his home for her. It was at that moment that she realized that she could let her walls down and she could recognize the feelings she had for him. She loved him too. He became her best friend, her guide, her opponent, her confidant, and her True Love. He was one of the only people who would stand up to her when she was fighting in the wrong direction. He had to be ok and she would make sure. She remembered that he told her that he took the Jolly as fast and as far as he had to go to get out of the curses purview. When he was safe he went to find a magic bean. She needed to get the portal to take her to the Jolly at that time. He would be alone and she knew he was in love with her so this would work.

She held the wand tightly in her fist and thought long and hard about the time portal. She pushed her magic to activate the wand and start the spell. The portal opened and she jumped through thinking of that time and thinking of Killian on the Jolly Roger.

She rolled through the portal and onto the floor. She tucked the wand down into her boot under her skirts. She didn't want to risk dropping it onto the deck. She stood slowly and looked out of the windows. She could see they were on the open sea. She was below deck in his stateroom. She heard footsteps above her coming towards the room. She walked over to the side of the door out of the view of the stairs to be sure not to startle him when he walked in the room. He wouldn't be expecting to see her and she would need some time to explain how and why she was there. She also wasn't sure that he would be there. She hoped the spell worked and that it would be Killian and him alone.

He walked into the room, cautiously with his sword raised.

"Show yourself! Who dares board my ship?"

He turned around and slowly and she stood there looking at him silently. Tears pooled in her eyes as she saw him this way, full of life, vibrant, and his old pirate charm in full force.

His facial expression changed to surprised and he smiled. He walked towards her swiftly.

He softly whispered, "Swan"?

I could only shake my head. It was too much for me not to just grab hold of him and kiss him so deeply. It was hard to think about how much I missed his touch both rough and gentle at the same time.

He stood looking at her only 6 inches between them.

"How, How are you here? Are you real? I'm on my way to get to you but you are here? "

"Killian, this will be difficult for me to explain to you but you must listen to me."

He stepped back and sheathed his sword.

She could feel his eyes taking her in from top to bottom. She had been wearing a form flattering long green dress that she knew brought out her eyes. He told her on many occasions how he loved seeing her in that dress. She wore it for him as often as she could because she loved how he looked at her when she wore it. She only wore a simple tiara but it was regal and she felt beautiful. She quickly hid her left hand behind her back so he would not see it. His ring, the ring he was never without. She took it on her wedding day. She said that dainty things would not suit her where he was concerned and she would only take something so intimate to him for her own. She wore his large ring on her finger to remind him that she was his, his treasure and that he was her pirate, always.

"What is this? Swan you better start talking. I just outran a curse. I got a note from your parents to find you. "

"Killian, yes, I know you must listen to me ok."

She walked forward and touched his chest without thinking. She felt his heart beating, stronger than ever. He looked at her and smiled.

She couldn't help herself any longer. She reached up and pulled him close to her covering his mouth with hers and kissing him with all the love she had within her. She felt him respond in turn and he pulled her close to him. She held her hand over his heart and thought about her magic. She thought about how much she loved this man, her children, and how he made her feel. It was the strongest magical feeling she ever had. She envisioned his heart being wrapped in her love and protected by her. She felt the spell complete. He pulled away from her.

"Swan, what is this trickery?"

He whispered clutching his heart.

She held up her hands in front of her.

"I mean you no harm. I did it out of love."

Her eyes started to pool with tears.

He looked at her perplexed and then he grabbed her left hand. Looking at his own right hand and finding its match.

"What is this? Swan, again please tell me what is going on. Tell me!"

"Killian, I'm from the future. You will need to complete this mission, find me, save me, and bring me home. You must do this! It is the most important mission of our lives."

"Swan, I don't understand. Why do you have my ring? Why are you dressed like a princess? What did you just do to me? I mean I don't mind you kissing me at all but it was a bit unexpected."

He was standing right in front of her again. This was so unfair; she was mesmerized by him and longing for his touch. She had completed the spell and she knew he would be ok. She was joyful and happy. She just wanted to be with him at that moment. She sighed.

"Killian, in the future you are my husband. We have two small children a boy Liam, and a girl Annabelle. We live in a castle in the Enchanted Forrest. There are horrible battles that are going on between light and dark magic. We were working together to restore peace to a local village and you jumped in front of a powerful blast of magic that was meant for me. If it would have hit me I would have been protected because my heart is protected."

"Your heart was not. You were injured very badly."

Tears were starting to fall down her cheeks. He reached up to wipe away her tears. He had this look of disbelief on his face.

"I had to come back to this time to protect you, protect your heart. I learned that my magic being the product of true love can protect the hearts of those that I love most dear. I needed to come back to a time when I knew you were alone and I could do the spell without causing trouble in the past."

"When I kissed you just then, I put a spell on your heart to protect it from dark magic. You will be protected as long as I am living."

He reached out and grabbed her left hand in his. He looked down at her dainty hand and saw his ring looking back at him.

"Emma, You love me?", he whispered.

"Killian, more than you can ever possibly imagine."

"You are my wife? We live in a castle? We have children?" He smiled at me like he did the day of our wedding. He was beaming.

"Yes, Yes, and Yes we have two children so far." She smiled.

He picked her up and kissed her spinning her around.

She forgot how much she loved this playful side of him. She couldn't help smile back at him.

"How will you get back? Will I remember seeing you? "

"I will re-open the portal and no, I have a forgetting potion made for you." His smile faded.

"Killian, you will be going through quite a trial until we get together. I don't make it easy for you to win my heart. I'm sorry about that but please never give up hope. My love is wrapped around your heart. It is an unbreakable mark. I won't be able to deny it's there either, even in my past self. I have loved you for a long time; it's all that you do on this journey that helps me to see it. Your beautiful unwavering heart has followed me and supported me through my darkest of times. Thank you my love, Thank you for making me feel more loved in the short time we have been together than the greater part of my life. I owe you more than you can ever imagine."

He uncorked his rum and took a swig. He turned slightly trying hard not to allow me to see him wipe a tear from his eyes.

"I need to remind you to be your pirate self more often. You are devilishly handsome you know." She smiled at him.

"Swan you are quite the vision in that dress."

He looked her over admiring her up and down once more settling his look on her face.

"It's your favorite. I wear it when I want to be sure you notice me."

"Love, I can't think of any time when I wouldn't notice you." He cocked his head to the side and grinned at her.

She laughed, "hmm now I know where your son gets that look when he is up to something."

He smiled. "My son, I have a boy of my own."

"He looks just like you. He has big beautiful blue eyes and dark hair with a sweet little smile. He loves you so much. He is three years old."

"I believe your daughter has you wrapped around her chubby little finger already. Annabelle has cute little cherub cheeks with big green eyes and little tufts of curls at the bottom of her hairline. She is 6 months old."

"She sounds like she takes after her mother Swan. Explain to me again why you are wearing my ring? Am I too cheap to get my princess, my wife a ring of her own?"

"No, no I insisted on you giving it to me on our wedding day. You bought me a beautiful ring but I wanted something that reminded you that I am yours and that you are mine. When I look at this ring it makes me happy, it makes me whole, and it reminds me of the man I fell in love with, my beautiful pirate with the big heart."

He closed his eyes to fight back the tears that he felt pooling.

"Swan", he whispered.

"Yes, Killian. "

"Am I worthy of you"?

"Yes, my love. Yes"

He opened his eyes and pulled me into a tight embrace. He kissed the top of my head.

I put my head against his chest, the steady rhythm of his heart pounded loudly. That sweet sound, how I missed it. I hugged him tighter.

I looked up to him fully aware of his gaze.

"Emma, you are my dream. You are all that I could have asked for in my life. What you are telling me is that I have won the lottery and that the gods have smiled upon me and given me an angel. I shall make my life worthy of you always. "

"Killian, my love you will. I must go back and you must continue your mission. Please find me, never worry. I love you. Always remember your heart will remind you. I'm going to give you the forgetting potion; you must go up on the deck and drink it. I am going to open the portal to go back to my time. I need to make sure you are ok. My life depends on it. I can't go on without you. "

She put her hand into the pocket of her dress and pulled out the potion. She leaned down and pulled the wand from her boot.

He gave her a side grin look as she straightened her dress.

"I'm a lucky man."

"You certainly will be when I get home", she laughed.

"Hmm", he pulled her close once more and looked into her eyes. "My beautiful Swan", he whispered and then he leaned down and kissed her softly and gently. She felt like she was floating on air.

When he parted he looked back once more. I can only let you go because I know you are running back to me. I never want to be parted from you again.

"I love you Emma."

"I love you too, with all of my heart."

She beamed a smile back at him.

"Go drink the potion."

He walked up the steps and she quickly got prepared to create the portal. She thought of her loves back home, thought of her magic and she thought most of Killian and that he would be ok. The portal opened, She thought about Annabelle sleeping in her crib and the rainbows dancing on the ceiling. She went through the portal. She landed on the floor of her bedroom. She quickly tucked the wand back into her boot. She knew the power it possessed. She needed to get it back to Rumple as soon as possible.

She looked to the bed, Killian was gone.

"Killian!"

"Killian!"

She called out running from the room.

He came walking out of Annabelle's room.

"Shhh love, the baby is sleeping. I just got her to calm down. Did you have a good trip to town Love?"

She rushed forward hugged him tightly. She put her ear against his heart. It thumped loudly and heavily. It was not the sad faint heartbeat that she left.

"Love, is everything ok?"

"Yes, yes it is now."

She reached up and pulled him into a long kiss.


End file.
